MPs’ expenses: pressure grows to scrap secret deals

Pressure grew on the House of Commons' authorities yesterday to scrap secret
deals which are being offered to MPs who admit breaking expenses rules.

Clandestine arrangements currently prevent voters knowing when their elected representatives have misused their taxpayer-funded allowancesPhoto: PAUL GROVER

Rosa Prince and Robert Winnett

12:01AM BST 22 Sep 2010

Sir Christopher Kelly, the Standards Commissioner, and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, both called for an immediate end to the clandestine arrangements, which prevent voters knowing when their elected representatives have misused their taxpayer-funded allowances.

The Daily Telegraph told yesterday how the deals, under which MPs have been able to quietly repay wrongful claims running into thousands of pounds, were continuing nine months after John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, promised to end them “within weeks”.

Yesterday Mr Bercow failed to respond to calls from The Daily Telegraph to explain why the practice was still in place.

Sir Christopher and Mr Clegg both added their weight to calls for the Commons to fulfil the pledge to introduce full transparency for all MPs found to have abused their expenses.

David Cameron has already said that he wants an immediate end to the “restitution process,” which can be offered to conclude formal sleaze inquiries involving so-called “minor” breaches of the rules.

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Highly questionable claims judged appropriate for restitution in the past include £6,000 in petty cash illegitimately received by Janet Anderson, a former Labour minister, and a £750 for an astrology computer programme submitted by David Tredennick, a Conservative backbencher.

Sir Christopher said that the secrecy on restitution deals must end immediately.

"They said they were going to make this information public and they must now do it,” he added. “Transparency is always a good thing.

“I think that it in the interests of putting the MPs’ expenses issue behind us, the sooner it happens the better. The important thing is that these deals are made public now."

Sir Christopher also criticised MPs for failing to tackle other "unfinished business" following the expenses scandal, including the appointment of members of the public to the committee overseeing the new system of Parliamentary allowances.

The Telegraph told over the summer how the committee had yet to fulfil its statutory requirement to appoint lay members, meaning that MPs continue to retain the final say over their own expenses.

A spokesman for Mr Clegg said that the Liberal Democrat leader was very concerned to learn that restitution was continuing – and would back plans to bring an end to all secret deals.

John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who is responsible for investigating complaints from members of the public relating to MPs, and who has the power to offer rectification, has formally requested that the deals come to an end.

His bid to name and shame all MPs subject to a sleaze probe dating back to January 2008 was accepted by the Commons' Standards Committee, chaired by Mr Bercow, some months ago.

However, the move requires the official approval of the House of Commons – and both the Labour leadership and Coalition Government have failed to put the proposal before Parliament.

A spokesman for Sir George Young, the current Leader of the House, has said that the measure was not included in forthcoming Parliamentary business.

He said that the proposal, which is formally listed as a change to the standing orders of the House, may now become the responsibility of a new back bench committee which is due to take over responsibility for non-Government business.

One insider on the committee admitted that backbenchers were unlikely to act swiftly on a measure which would open them up to public scrutiny of their expenses.